Camden Ivey | Twelve Months



ONE YEAR! 12 months! 365 days!

It blows my mind that Camden is 12 months old now. Time had a way of moving fast before Camden but time truly does speed up when you have a baby. This was a big month for Camden. I'm also secretly happy that I no longer have to take these weekly pictures. That started at the request of Craw and to begin with wasn't bad but it definitely got harder to remember. I'm happy to be retiring from taking those but I'm happy I did it.

Weight

He weighs 22.2 pounds. He hasn't gained any weight since his 9 month appointment and the doctor said that is very typical for a baby when they become active. He is 30.5 inches so he did get taller but he is definitely a lean little thing.

Eat

He eats everything now and we have switched him over to whole milk. Switching from formula to whole milk was not an issue. We also didn't have any issues giving him his milk in a sippy cup. The hard part is going to be cutting out that nighttime milk. He is a creature of habit and he expects milk first thing when he gets up and right before he goes to sleep. We may have to gradually get to that point. He still loves bananas and go-go applesauce.

Sleep

Because Camden is a creature of habit, he sleeps so good as long as we keep him on his routine. He goes to bed at 8 and he loves going to sleep. I love that he loves his crib so much. He is consistently sleeping from 8-6 and we sometimes get lucky and he sleeps till 6:30-7. The biggest thing we noticed this month is he is content to lay in his crib for a while after he wakes up. If he wakes up at 6, he will lay in his crib talking to himself until we go get him around 6:30-6:45. That has been a major plus for our morning routine. He has been taking 2 naps a day but starting this week, he will transition to 1 nap a day. I'm interested to see how this works and I know it will take some time but he will adapt eventually.

Milestones

Our boy is walking! He took his first consistent steps on January 4th. He had been taking a couple of steps for about a month but nothing consistent and he wouldn't do it on command. Craw and I were at home that night playing with him in the living room and he walked all the way across the living room. We freaked out and then he did it again and again. Since that night, he has gotten so much faster but he still looks like Frankenstin with his arms out straight. He celebrated his first Christmas, first New Years, and first birthday all in one month. It was a crazy big month. He also got 2 of his top molars in and those things were rough. My 2 favorites this month were watching him blow kisses and wave bye-bye. He's been waving for a while now but now he says "da da" when he waves. I can tell he is trying so hard to say bye bye but he can't quite get the 'b' sound so he says "da da."

Likes

He LOVES his stuffed animal doggy. He doesn't go to sleep without it. It's actually so cute to see him connected to something. He has two stuffed animals dogs but only one that we refer to as "doggy" and he can tell the difference. He loves waving bye to everyone he sees. He also loves to point and he usually has his finger pointing at something. He will sometimes say "dat" for that and its pretty cute. He still loves his baths and that boy would live in water if we let him. His new favorite thing is to drink his bath water which I think is pretty disgusting.

Dislikes

He HATES having his face touched. Shew! I have never met a child that screamed before a person even touches them. He knows the minute he sees a baby wipe that something is about to happen and he hates it. He has also started to dislike having his diaper changed. When we start walking towards his room, he starts whining and when I put him on the changing table, he really starts crying. Once I start changing him, he usually stops but getting to that point is tough.

Clothes

He is in all 12 month clothes now and even wearing a couple of 12-18 month pieces. He will probably be in 12 month for a while because the pants fit his length but they are usually big in the waist. He is constantly sagging.

Camden Ivey, how are you now a toddler? I feel like you grew up over night. You are no longer our little baby. I love watching your personality develop and watching that one dimple of yours grow big when you see me walk in to the room. I also love how I can smile at you across the room and you will just throw your head back and laugh. You are so precious to me. It's hard to remember what life was like before you because you bring so much joy to everyone around you. I pray you always stay this loving. You are going to do big things one day. I love you with all my heart. More than all the toys in Walmart.



Happy 1st Gotcha Day

Per Wikipedia, "Gotcha Day marks the day a family came physically together, separate from the legalities; ""We gotcha" is a phrase that acknowledges when another way of life began. Simply saying "Adoption Day" does not differentiate between our children's placement and finalization dates, so "Gotcha Day" is a less confusing name for us."

One thing that I found in the adoption process is families celebrate milestones in their own way. Some families celebrate Gotcha Day as the day the adoption is finalized. Craw and I decided that we wanted Camden's Gotcha Day to be the day we held him in our arms the very first time. Today, January 18th, is Camden's first Gotcha Day.

We officially laid eyes on Camden 365 days ago at 11:12 am. It came after a full night of driving, sleeping in the car, filling out paperwork, and talking with the doctors. The wait was pure agony. But it was so worth it.

Happy Gotcha Day Camden! While your birthday will always be a special day that we will celebrate, January 18th is just as important to your daddy and I and we will always celebrate it. We love you.



My Baby is ONE

One year ago today, you entered this world at 6:24 AM. You were born 7 hours before your daddy and I ever knew you existed. While I don't know your birth mother, I like to imagine her as this beautiful angel that knew we needed you and that you needed us. It was 1:33 pm when I got the call from the agency that changed our life. It was that moment when my heart was filled with so much love for a little 7 pound 12 ounce baby boy that was waiting on his mama and daddy in Florida. The agency sent us the cutest pictures of you and I studied every inch of you from those pictures. I couldn't wait to hold you in my arms.

We arrived in Florida the next morning and anxiously awaited the moment we would meet you. My heart was beating so fast and I could hardly concentrate on all of the papers we were signing. At 11:12 am on January 18th, we met you for the first time and I'm pretty sure time stood still. This is what I like to call your "gotcha" day because it was the moment where I realized you were my baby.

The past year has been the fastest of my life. The first couple of months was us trying to figure out your schedule which seemed to constantly change. We went with the flow and you were the best baby. You rarely cried unless you were hungry or hot and you slept good from moment we met you. We also spent the first 5 months trying to finalize your adoption which was made official on June 28th. That's the day we call our "forever family day" and it was a huge milestone. The next six months were spent watching you grow from a baby to a toddler. The moment you learned how to crawl, you were everywhere. You've always been our active baby. Your personality and smile still melt me and I like to say that you are our happy baby.

You are our perfect miracle and proof that God's timing is always perfect. We prayed for you every single night and never in my wildest dreams did I think God would answer our prayers so quickly in the process. Watching you grow has been the greatest adventure of a lifetime for your daddy and I and we can't wait to see all of the new things you learn this year.

Happy Birthday my sweet boy. I pray that you will live a long and healthy life filled with love, joy, and following God's calling. He has BIG plans for you and it is our honor to watch them unfold. We love you more than all the toys in Walmart.  

Camden's Hole in One Par Tee

My baby is almost one and my emotions are all over the place. It's so hard to believe that last year at this time we had no idea we would have a baby by the end of the week. We decided to have Camden's party the weekend before his birthday so that we can enjoy birthday week without the stress of planning a party. I have to say...best decision ever!

Another amazing decision was keeping the party super small by doing family only and ordering pizza. Saturday was all about Camden and Craw and I were able to enjoy all of the moments because hosting a small party is easier than hosting a huge party. Plus, everybody loves pizza.

#winning

I knew from the start I wanted to do a golf theme because Craw loves golf and I saw the Hole in One theme on Pinterest. Amazon saved the day by having a balloon party pack for golf themed parties and it included 3 golf balloons. I love how simple the decorations were. The only downside to the day was the cake. I ordered a cupcake cake from Walmart and let's just say never again. I learned my lesson. In the end, Camden enjoyed it so that is what matters. He devoured his smash cake and it made for the best pictures.

It truly was the perfect day for our little man and I'm so happy that our families were able to see him walk. My sister-in-law made him an adorable shirt for his birthday and it turned out perfect. We are so thankful for our little man and are blessed to celebrate this day with him.